Empowering Community and Change
Community Progress Council, Inc. (CPC) strives to transform lives by championing change throughout the York community. In its efforts to accomplish this, CPC empowers low- and moderate-income individuals and families with the tools to take control of their lives.
CPC has been comprised of people helping people since 1965. The agency provides services such as early childhood education, nutrition education (WIC), housing and financial counseling and workforce development to support the needs of community members. From the onset, Louis Appell, Jr., an advocate for numerous initiatives that improve the lives of York residents, was a staunch supporter.
The agency is among more than 1,000 community action agencies across the United States, each created as a result of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 declaration of war on poverty. Over the past 55 years, CPC has worked with hundreds of thousands of families to help them reach stable financial ground.
These integrated services and more are offered in the agency’s efforts to achieve a poverty-free York. Now more than ever, Community Progress Council is focused on working with low-income residents to develop a plan for financial independence.
Now, thanks to the Powder Mill Foundation, CPC’s latest effort, their Self-Sufficiency Program, works to create long-term relationships with residents – first helping them identify challenges and goals, and then developing a plan to make those goals a reality.
When individuals work to achieve self-sufficiency, there often are obstacles in their path to earning higher wages, causing them to lose assistance as a result. The Self-Sufficiency Program helps bridge the gap for program participants by covering short-term needs, like childcare or schooling, in order to help recipients meet their long-term goals.
While much of the Self-Sufficiency Program focuses on helping clients reach a sustainable, livable wage, coaches work with individuals to improve their housing situation, create budgets to help them achieve their financial goals and examine the ways clients can succeed. This is achieved through the help of CPC’s early childhood education and WIC programs.
For most, this journey takes several years, and Community Progress Council is poised to partner with them the entire way – ensuring that progress is being made and that clients remain focused and confident that they aren’t in this alone. The Powder Mill Foundation offers us significant resources in forwarding these efforts.
Robin Rohrbaugh, President/CEO, Community Progress Council, Inc.
